Landmark affordable housing project in City of Waterloo calls for unique development partners

Posted On Wednesday August 14, 2024

The City of Waterloo is taking another innovative step forward in providing city-owned lands for affordable housing.

The City is now inviting development expressions of interest from non-profit organizations and consortiums (led by a non-profit organizations) for a new affordable housing project at 2025 University Avenue East.

To support the City’s bold approach to improving the housing crisis, development proposals should align with the City’s objectives for the property.

  1. Create a compact, mixed-use, complete community.
  2. Deliver housing that is affordable and attainable over the long term.
  3. Make efficient use of the lands while designing for liveability, human scale and a vibrant public realm.
  4. Integrate sustainability, natural heritage conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation into building and site design, materials and construction, transportation and connectivity, and long-term site and building operation and maintenance.
  5. Design for safe, convenient and connected active and accessible travel within the site and to offsite transit stops, active transportation routes, and nearby amenities.
  6. Support diversity, inclusion, social cohesion and community well-being.

“Council and staff are excited to take the next step in our historic journey to use city-owned land for more affordable housing options,” said Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe, “The requirements for this project reflect our strategic priorities of creating complete communities that are connected, climate change resilient, inclusive and accessible to transit.”

Allocating city-owned land to build affordable housing is just one of the many ways City of Waterloo is addressing the housing crisis. Through this process, the City will identify the non-profit group they will work with on this important project, making the lands available to them either at no or low cost, or through a long-term land lease. The City is also considering additional financial incentives. Follow this link for the full request for expressions of interest.

This project advances the City of Waterloo Affordable Housing Strategy to increase the supply and mix of affordable housing, the City’s commitment to our provincial housing pledge of 16,000 units by 2031 and the Housing Accelerator Fund action plan. Residents can follow this project on Engage Waterloo: www.engagewr.ca/waterloo-haf-initiative-1.

 

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Media contact:

Stacey Abbott
Manager, Corporate Communications
Stacey.Abbott@waterloo.ca